Tuesday
Travel to Kutaisi, head office meeting with a microfinance institution and visit of micro-entrepreneurs in the vicinity of Kutaisi

Wednesday
Travel to Batumi, visit of micro-entrepreneurs from various sectors, sight-seeing in the area of Batumi

Posting one of the highest GDP growth rates in the region, Georgia boasts a business-friendly legal environment and ranks in 6th place among 190 economies on the ease of doing business, according to the World Bank’s latest 2018 annual ratings. Georgia also ranks 7th out of 162 countries in the 2018 Index of Economic Freedom. Yet the unemployment rate remains high at 13.9% and an estimated 22% of the population is living under the absolute poverty line. Through essential services provided by the microfinance sector, Georgia strives towards realizing its business potential, reaching financial stability, and improving its standards of living. BlueOrchard’s Tbilisi office, established in 2013, currently covers the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia including Mongolia. BlueOrchard has deployed approximately USD 1.7bn in 722 loans to financial institutions in the region, thus providing access to financial services to a substantial number of micro-entrepreneurs and their families.